WO2009139423A1 - Food product conditioning agent and food product - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a food product conditioning agent for which the manufacturing method is simple, that has excellent storage stability, and that, when added to various food products, maintains for a long period of time the texture and flavor that exist immediately after processing and cooking. The food product conditioning agent contains an emulsifier and a gel-forming substance, and said emulsifier forms a lamellar structure. In particular, with a preferred embodiment, the lamellar structure of the emulsifier is formed with an organic acid monoglyceride, and the gel-forming substance is glucomannan.

Description

Food quality improver and food

The present invention relates to a food quality improver and a food containing the food quality improver.

Starch-containing foods have a starchy texture that is lost immediately after processing and cooking, and the moist feeling is lost during the storage period. In addition, foods containing starch may have an aging odor. Moreover, in frozen foods, the coarsening of ice crystals during frozen storage and the evaporation of water cause destruction of food tissues, and water separation occurs during thawing. Furthermore, water also separates over time in the cocoons contained in the cocoons and dumplings.

Several quality improver methods have been proposed to address the above problems in foods during storage.
For example, by adding an emulsified oil and fat composition in which fats and oils, organic acid monoglycerides, diglycerides, emulsifiers, saccharides, and water are mixed at a specific ratio to frozen foods, the softness and moist feeling after frozen storage are maintained. A method for preventing a decrease in texture, flavor and the like is known (see Patent Document 1).
In addition, by incorporating an oil-in-water emulsified oil and fat composition containing fats and oils, dextrins, and emulsifiers into starchy food doughs, starch aging phenomena such as hardening, drying, and texture reduction during freezing and refrigeration storage can be achieved. The method of suppressing is also known (refer patent document 2).

In addition, a method using the gelation characteristics of glucomannan is also known. For example, a method for producing a liquid food material having a pH of 4 to 8 is known in which a W / O emulsion containing an aqueous alkaline solution in an internal phase (dispersed phase) is uniformly dispersed in a sugar solution containing glucomannan (Patent Document 3). reference). Also known is a method for effectively improving storage stability such as physical properties, texture, flavor improvement, chilled resistance, and freezing resistance of food by blending the above liquid food material with various foods (patents) Reference 4). Furthermore, in order to prevent hardening of moss, a method using a natural polysaccharide pullulan, a disaccharide, and an emulsifier is known (see Patent Document 5).

JP-A-5-236919 JP 2001-95489 A JP 2003-88306 A JP 2003-235474 A JP-A-5-84046

However, the conventional technology does not provide a sufficiently satisfactory quality improvement effect. Moreover, the conventional emulsified oil / fat composition has problems that it is difficult to control the emulsification temperature and time during production, and it is difficult to maintain the stability of the composition. In addition, when blending glucomannan, it is necessary to use a complex emulsion in order to allow glucomannan and alkali to gradually interact, the production method is complicated, and the stability of the emulsion is further improved over a long period of time. It is also difficult to maintain.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is that the production method is simple, the storage stability is excellent, and pastries such as breads, madeleine, castella, cakes, and fillings. , Starch-containing foods such as noodles (frozen noodles, dry noodles, instant fried noodles, etc.), Japanese confectionery such as rice cakes, rice cakes and dumplings, side dishes, marine products, frozen foods such as frozen dumplings, etc. In particular, the object is to provide a food quality improver capable of maintaining the texture and flavor immediately after processing and cooking over a long period of time.

Therefore, as a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventors have found that a composition containing a specific structure (lamella structure) formed by an emulsifier, a saccharide, and an organic acid monoglyceride in an aqueous solution is an excellent food. Have already been proposed (see WO 2008/068890 pamphlet). Furthermore, the present inventor has found that if glucomannan is contained in the composition, it can be a better food quality improver, and the present invention has been achieved.

That is, the present invention has the following gist and is specified by the matters described in the following [1] to [11].
[1] A food quality improving agent comprising an emulsifier and a gel-forming substance, and the emulsifier forms a lamellar structure.
[2] The food quality improving agent according to the above [1], wherein the lamellar structure of the emulsifier is formed of an organic acid monoglyceride.
[3] The food quality improver according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the emulsifier contains a sucrose fatty acid ester and / or a polyglycerol fatty acid ester.
[4] An emulsifier and a gel-forming substance, the emulsifier contains an organic acid monoglyceride and an emulsifier other than the organic acid monoglyceride, and the organic acid monoglyceride forms a lamellar structure. Quality improver.
[5] The food quality improving agent according to the above [4], wherein the emulsifier other than the organic acid monoglyceride contains a sucrose fatty acid ester and / or a polyglycerin fatty acid ester.
[6] The food quality improving agent according to any one of the above [1] to [5], wherein the gel-forming substance is glucomannan.
[7] The food quality improving agent according to any one of the above [1] to [6], further comprising a saccharide.
[8] The food quality improver according to any one of the above [2] to [7], wherein the organic acid monoglyceride is obtained by reacting an acid anhydride of an organic acid with a fatty acid monoglyceride.
[9] The organic acid constituting the organic acid monoglyceride is at least one selected from the group consisting of succinic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, diacetyltartaric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, maleic acid and fumaric acid. The food quality improving agent according to any one of [2] to [8] above.
[10] The content of the gel-forming substance is 0.01 to 10% by mass, the content of the organic acid monoglyceride is 0.01 to 50% by mass, and the content of the emulsifier other than the organic acid monoglyceride is 0.001. The food quality improver according to any one of the above [5] to [9], which is 50% by mass.
[11] A food comprising the food quality improving agent according to any one of [1] to [10].

The food quality improver of the present invention has a simple production method, excellent storage stability, and can maintain the texture and flavor immediately after processing and cooking when added to various foods. The excellent effect of the food quality improving agent of the present invention is presumed to be due to starch aging prevention and protein denaturation inhibition due to moisture retention. More specifically, the food quality improver of the present invention has the following effects.
(1) Retain water even in heat shocks such as heating and freezing of food to reduce damage caused by heat.
(2) Improves dough physical properties of wheat flour and starch food, and improves mechanical resistance even when a large amount of water is added.
(3) It has a masking effect on the smell of livestock meat and fish meat, and makes full use of the taste of the material.
(4) It is possible to reduce the number of calories in food (substitute for fats and oils).
(5) Improve the taste of food.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail, but this description is an example (representative example) of an embodiment of the present invention, and is not limited to the following contents as long as the gist of the present invention is not exceeded.

First, the food quality improving agent of the present invention will be described. The food quality improving agent of the present invention contains an emulsifier and a gel-forming substance, and an emulsifier that forms a lamellar structure as an essential component. Furthermore, the food quality improver of the present invention can contain sugars and other components as required.

The emulsifier used in the present invention contains at least an emulsifier that forms a lamellar structure. The emulsifier that forms the lamella structure is not limited as long as it is an emulsifier that can form the lamella structure, and specific examples include sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, and the like. Organic acid monoglycerides which are glycerin fatty acid esters are preferred.
Moreover, it is preferable to contain the emulsifier which does not form a lamella structure (henceforth other emulsifiers) other than the emulsifier which forms a lamella structure.
In addition, as will be described later, the emulsifier forming the lamellar structure and the other emulsifier may have different purposes. In such a case, the same compound as the emulsifier that forms the lamellar structure may be used in combination as another emulsifier.

Hereinafter, although the case where an organic acid monoglyceride is used as an emulsifier which forms a lamellar structure is demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited to this.
In the present invention, other emulsifiers in the case of forming a lamellar structure with an organic acid monoglyceride are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sucrose fatty acid esters, monoglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and the like. Polyglycerin fatty acid esters are preferred.
The main purpose of containing other emulsifiers is as follows. That is, one is to uniformly disperse a lamellar structure of organic acid monoglyceride in a food quality improver. The other one is to uniformly emulsify the W / O type emulsion in the method for preparing a food quality improver described below.

When sucrose fatty acid ester, which is another emulsifier, is used to uniformly disperse a lamellar structure of organic acid monoglyceride in a food quality improver, it is highly hydrophilic (HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance) value is 5 to 18 is preferable, and 8 to 15 is more preferable.) Those that are excellent in water dispersibility and are in the form of a highly viscous aqueous dispersion at high temperature are preferable. Examples of the constituent fatty acid include saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 14 to 22 carbon atoms such as myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid and oleic acid. Of these, saturated fatty acids having 14 to 18 carbon atoms are preferred. Moreover, the fatty acid whose 70 mass% or more of the fatty acid to comprise is a stearic acid is still more preferable.

When using polyglycerin fatty acid ester, which is another emulsifier, to uniformly disperse a lamellar structure of organic acid monoglyceride in a food quality improver, like sucrose fatty acid ester, it has high hydrophilicity, water Those which are excellent in dispersibility and are in the state of a highly viscous aqueous dispersion at high temperature are preferred. Such polyglycerol fatty acid esters are not particularly limited, but those having an average polymerization degree of polyglycerol of usually 2 to 20, preferably 3 to 10 are preferable. Polyglycerin may have a uniform degree of polymerization or a mixture having different degrees of polymerization. Further, the fatty acid to be constituted is preferably a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having 14 to 22 carbon atoms. Furthermore, polyglycerol fatty acid ester in which 70% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acid is stearic acid is particularly preferable.
When the lamellar structure of an organic acid monoglyceride is used for uniformly dispersing in a food quality improver, the content of the other emulsifier is usually 0.001 to 50% by mass in the food quality improver, preferably Is 0.005 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 10% by mass.

On the other hand, the latter purpose of containing other emulsifiers, that is, as an emulsifier used to uniformly emulsify the W / O emulsion, both sucrose fatty acid esters and polyglycerin fatty acid esters are lipophilic with an HLB value of 4 or less. Those are preferred. In this case, the content of the emulsifier in the W / O emulsion is usually 0.001 to 20% by mass, preferably 0.005 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass.

Sucrose fatty acid esters and polyglycerin fatty acid esters used as other emulsifiers are food emulsifiers known per se, and commercially available ones can be used.
Examples of commercially available sucrose fatty acid esters include “Ryoto Sugar Esters S-1670”, “Ryoto Sugar Esters P-1670”, “Ryoto Sugar Esters M-1695”, “Ryoto Sugar Esters O-1570”. "Ryoto sugar ester S-1170", "Ryoto sugar ester S-570", "Ryoto sugar ester S-370", "Ryoto sugar ester B-370", "Ryoto sugar ester S-170" “Ryoto Sugar Ester ER-190”, “Ryoto Sugar Ester POS-135” (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods, trade name); “DK Ester F-160”, “DK Ester F-140”, "DK Ester F-110", "DK Ester F-70 , "DK ester F-50" (above, Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., trade name), and the like.

Examples of commercially available polyglycerin fatty acid esters include “Ryoto-polyglycerin S-10D”, “Ryoto-polyglycerin P-8D”, “Ryoto-polyglycerin M-10D”, “Ryoto-polyglycerin L”. -10D "," Ryoto Polyglycerester S-24D "," Ryoto Polyglycerester S-28D "," Ryoto Polyglycerester O-15D "," Ryoto Polyglycerester O-50D "," Ryoto Polyglycerester B " -100D "," Ryoto polyglycerate ER-60D "(trade name, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.);" SY glister MSW-7S "," SY glister MS-5S "," SY glister MS-3S " "SY Glister TS-3S", "SY Glister MO-5 ", SY Glister ML-750", "SY Glister HB-750", "SY Glister CR-500" (the trade name, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.); "Sunsoft Q-18S", "Sunsoft Q -14S "," Sunsoft Q-12S "," Sunsoft A-141E "," Sunsoft A-17E "(trade name, manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.)," Poem DP-95RF "," Poem TRP- 97RF "(trade name, manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) and the like.

The content of the above-mentioned emulsifier in the food quality improver is usually 0.001 to 50% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass.
When there is too little content of said emulsifier, dispersion | distribution of the lamellar structure of an organic acid monoglyceride will become inadequate. Moreover, when there is too much content of said emulsifier, there exists a tendency for the water | moisture content retention by the lamellar structure of organic acid monoglyceride to become inadequate.

The gel-forming substance used in the present invention is not particularly limited and may be any material that swells in water, that is, forms a hydrous gel and is edible. Specific examples include glucomannan, galactomannan, agar, gelatin, pectin, carrageenan, curdlan, xanthan gum, gellan gum, carboxymethylcellulose, alginic acids, polyglutamic acids, and the like, with glucomannan being particularly preferred. Moreover, you may add a gelling accelerator with respect to these gel formation substances suitably.

When glucomannan is used as the gel-forming substance, the glucomannan is not particularly limited and may be derived from any source. Glucomannan is a polysaccharide contained in konjac koji, a complex polysaccharide in which D-glucose and D-mannose are linked in large numbers by a β-1,4 bond in a molar ratio of approximately 1: 1.6 (digestible polysaccharide). Sugars), and the molecular weight is about 1 million to 2 million.
As glucomannan, konjac powder obtained by drying and pulverizing konjac flour, konjac fine powder obtained by purifying konjac powder, and the like can be used. In terms of flavor and color, glucomannan is particularly preferably deproteinized konjac flour. Examples of such deproteinized konjac powder include “ROLEX RS” (trade name, manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd.).
In addition, when using glucomannan as a gel formation substance, gelatinization can be easily accelerated | stimulated by adding an alkaline component.

In the preparation of a food quality improver, the use form of the gel-forming substance is not particularly limited, but it is preferably used in a state of being dispersed in a water swelling liquid or oil. When used as a water swelling liquid, the content of the gel-forming substance in the water swelling liquid is usually 0.1 to 20% by mass, preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass, more preferably 1 to 5% by mass. On the other hand, when used by being dispersed in oil, the content of the gel-forming substance in the oil dispersion is usually 10 to 80% by mass, preferably 20 to 70% by mass, more preferably 30 to 60% by mass. .

The content of the gel-forming substance in the food quality improver is usually 0.01 to 10% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 3% by mass. When the content of the gel-forming substance is too small, sufficient water retention cannot be obtained, so that starch aging inhibition and protein denaturation inhibition cannot be achieved. Moreover, when there is too much content of a gel formation substance, there exists a tendency for the viscosity of a gel formation substance water swelling liquid to increase remarkably, and to be in the state which cannot mix uniformly with another component.

The organic acid monoglyceride used in the present invention has a structure in which one molecule of fatty acid and one molecule of organic acid are bonded to one molecule of glycerin, and generally disclosed in JP-A-4-218597, JP-A-3823524, etc. According to the method described, it is obtained by reacting an acid anhydride of an organic acid with a fatty acid monoglyceride.
The reaction is usually performed under solvent-free conditions. For example, in the reaction of succinic anhydride and a monoglyceride of a fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms, the reaction is completed in about 90 minutes at a temperature of about 120 ° C. The organic acid monoglyceride thus obtained is usually a mixture containing an organic acid, unreacted monoglyceride, diglyceride, and other oligomers. In the present invention, such a mixture may be used as it is.
In order to increase the purity of the organic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver of the present invention, the organic acid monoglyceride in the mixture as described above may be purified by distillation or the like. Moreover, what is marketed as distilled monoglyceride can be used as an organic acid monoglyceride with high purity. Examples of commercially available organic acid monoglycerides include “Poem B-30” (trade name, manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), “Step SS” (trade name, manufactured by Kao Corporation), and the like. Moreover, you may use what the organic acid part of the organic acid monoglyceride was partially neutralized.

The organic acid constituting the organic acid monoglyceride is not limited, and examples thereof include succinic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, diacetyltartaric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, maleic acid, and fumaric acid. Among these, succinic acid, citric acid and diacetyltartaric acid used for food applications are preferable, and succinic acid is particularly preferable. Moreover, the mixture of the organic acid monoglyceride which consists of a different organic acid may be sufficient.
The fatty acid constituting the organic acid monoglyceride is not limited, but a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having 8 to 22 carbon atoms is preferable. Specifically, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, Examples include behenic acid and oleic acid. In these, the fatty acid which has a stearic acid as a main component from a viewpoint of flavor is preferable. Moreover, the mixture of the organic acid monoglyceride which consists of a different fatty acid may be sufficient.

The mixture of the above-mentioned organic acid monoglyceride and water can take various phase structures (phase states) depending on their quantitative ratio and temperature change. Of these phase structures, a lamellar liquid crystal structure (in the present invention, this may be abbreviated as “lamella structure”) having excellent water retention is used in the present invention.
The lamellar structure does not always occur just by dispersing the organic acid monoglyceride in water, but it can be prepared as a dispersion by physically stirring and redispersing the aqueous dispersion containing the organic acid monoglyceride. Can do. Here, the lamellar liquid crystal structure of an organic acid monoglyceride has a known phase structure, and details thereof are described in, for example, Toru Hidaka, “Emulsifier for Foods”, 2nd edition (Shoshobo Co., Ltd., 1987) 74-83, etc.

When a lamellar structure is formed with an organic acid monoglyceride, the preparation conditions vary depending on the type of the organic acid monoglyceride, but the amount ratio (mass ratio) of the organic acid monoglyceride to water is usually from 1: 1000 to 10: 1. Preferably, it is 1: 100 to 1: 1, and the temperature during redispersion is usually 30 to 90 ° C., preferably 50 to 70 ° C.
In the above physical dispersion, for example, in order to avoid mixing of bubbles, stirring is performed slowly using, for example, an anchor mixer. The stirring speed is usually 10 to 100 rpm, preferably 20 to 50 rpm. That is, a lamellar structure can be obtained by stirring at an appropriate stirring speed depending on the type of organic acid monoglyceride used. Moreover, confirmation of a lamellar structure can be easily performed by confirming the presence of a lamellar layer structure, for example, by observation with a polarizing microscope.

The lamellar structure in the aqueous solution obtained by the above method is relatively stable, but its structure changes when water is removed and solidified by drying. Therefore, the aqueous solution in which the lamellar structure is dispersed is usually used without being dried and solidified in the process up to the production of the food quality improver of the present invention. Furthermore, the food quality improver of the present invention is usually used without being dried and solidified.
In addition, when high shear is applied to the aqueous solution in which the lamella structure is dispersed, the lamella structure may change. Therefore, it is preferable not to apply high shear in the process until the production of the food quality improving agent of the present invention. Furthermore, it is preferable not to apply high shear to the food quality improver of the present invention. Specifically, for example, it is preferable to avoid using a high-pressure homogenizer or a colloid mill having a processing pressure of 20 MPa (gauge pressure) or more.

In the case of succinic monoglyceride, for example, if the fatty acid is stearic acid, a lamellar structure is formed at a temperature of 50 ° C. or higher. The heating temperature is usually 40 to 100 ° C., preferably 40 to 80 ° C., more preferably 50 to 70 ° C. Generally, as the fatty acid chain length increases, the formation temperature of the lamellar structure increases. In this temperature range, a lamella structure of succinic monoglyceride can be prepared by slowly stirring the mixture of succinic monoglyceride and water as described above using an anchor mixer or the like. In this case, the content of succinic monoglyceride in the aqueous dispersion is usually 0.001 to 50% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 30% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass.

The content of the organic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver varies depending on the food to which the food quality improver of the present invention is applied, but is usually 0.01 to 50% by mass, preferably 0.02 to 20% by mass. More preferably, it is 0.05 to 10% by mass. If the content of organic acid monoglyceride is too low, the quality improvement effect for food will be insufficient, and if the content of organic acid monoglyceride is too high, there will be a tendency not to disperse uniformly in the food quality improvement agent. is there.

As described above, the case where the lamellar structure is formed with the organic acid monoglyceride has been described, but the case where the lamellar structure is formed with an emulsifier other than the organic acid monoglyceride, for example, a sucrose fatty acid ester, is replaced with the above organic acid monoglyceride. Can be applied to. In addition, when forming a lamellar structure with emulsifiers other than organic acid monoglyceride, organic acid monoglyceride can also be used as another emulsifier.

The food quality improver of the present invention may further contain saccharides as necessary. The saccharide used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but sugars and sugar alcohols such as sugar, glucose, isomerized sugar, maltose, trehalose, sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol, erythritol; various oligosaccharides; Can be used. Of these, oligosaccharides are preferred.

Examples of the oligosaccharide include maltooligosaccharide (preferably having a polymerization degree of 3 to 7), nigerooligosaccharide, isomaltooligosaccharide, panose oligosaccharide, gentiooligosaccharide, fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, xylooligosaccharide, dairy oligosaccharide, and syrup thereof. Is mentioned. The saccharides are appropriately selected and used according to the purpose. For example, malto-oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols are preferable when improving the freezing tolerance of food and drink. In the preparation of the food quality improving agent of the present invention, the saccharide is usually used as an aqueous solution. For example, in the case of syrup, it can be used as it is.

In the preparation of a food quality improver, the form of sugar used is not particularly limited, but it is preferably used as an aqueous solution. In this case, the content of the saccharide in the aqueous solution is usually 10 to 90% by mass, preferably 40 to 80% by mass, and more preferably 60 to 80% by mass.

The content of saccharide in the food quality improver is usually 1 to 90% by mass, preferably 20 to 80% by mass. If the saccharide content is too low, the storage stability of the food quality improver will be poor, and if the saccharide content is too high, crystals may precipitate or the viscosity will increase depending on the type of saccharide. Workability tends to be poor.

The food quality improver of the present invention can further contain an alcohol such as ethanol, if necessary. The content of alcohol in the food quality improver is usually 1 to 10% by mass, preferably 2 to 5% by mass. If the alcohol content is too low, the effect of suppressing the growth of microorganisms during storage of the food quality improver will be insufficient, and if the alcohol content is too high, the alcohol odor will become strong. By using an alcohol such as ethanol in combination, the storage stability can be further improved.

It should be noted that the food quality improver of the present invention includes, if necessary, emulsifiers other than those described above (for example, lecithin, lysolecithin, monoglyceride, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, etc.) as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. ), Starch (for example, corn starch, wheat starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, high amylose corn starch, waxy corn starch, sago starch, potato starch, katsu starch, sweet potato starch, etc. natural starch, esterified starch, etherified starch, cross-linked Starch, periodate oxidized starch, modified starch such as hydroxypropylated starch, granulated starch, pregelatinized starch, modified starch such as wet heat starch, etc.), organic acid (eg fumaric acid, succinic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid) , Diacetyltartaric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, maleic acid ), Fats and oils (eg, corn oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, olive oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, cocoon oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, cacao butter, milk fat, etc.), lipoproteins (eg , Milk protein / lecithin / water mixture, egg yolk protein / lecithin / water mixture, soybean protein / lecithin / water mixture, corn protein / phospholipid / water mixture, etc.) alkaline agent (eg, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate) , Basic salts such as sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium citrate, sodium lactate), low molecular gelatin, VC Palmitate, sweetener, flavoring (eg orange flower water, butter flavor, milk flavor, etc.), Min itself such as antioxidants can be added to known formulations.

In the food quality improver containing the above ingredients, the balance is usually water. The content of water in the food quality improver is usually 20 to 95% by mass, preferably 30 to 90% by mass. If the water content is too low, the workability will deteriorate due to the increased viscosity of the food quality improver, and if the water content is too high, the amount of emulsifier and gel-forming substance will decrease. The effect of a food quality improver may be weakened.

The method for preparing the food quality improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited, and any method may be used as long as the above components can be mixed. Specifically, for example, it can be produced by the following method.
First, a W / O emulsion prepared by emulsifying an aqueous phase and an oil phase with an emulsifier is added to a water swelling liquid of a gel-forming substance and stirred to obtain a mixed liquid. Here, when glucomannan is used as the gel-forming substance, it is preferable to contain an alkaline agent in the water phase forming the W / O type emulsion. In addition, the emulsifier used for a W / O type emulsion is not an emulsifier which forms a lamellar structure. Separately, an aqueous dispersion in which a lamellar structure is formed with an organic acid monoglyceride or the like is prepared. In preparing the aqueous dispersion, it is preferable to contain other emulsifiers in order to stabilize the lamellar structure. A food quality improver is produced by adding the prepared aqueous dispersion to the mixture and stirring.
Alternatively, as another method, an aqueous dispersion in which a lamella structure is formed with an organic acid monoglyceride or the like is mixed with a dispersion in which glucomannan is dispersed in fats and oils, and W / Add O-type emulsion and aqueous emulsifier and stir.

Next, if necessary, a sugar solution is further added and stirred. The stirring conditions are not particularly limited, and may be slowly stirred using, for example, a propeller mixer. The temperature at the time of stirring (mixing) is usually 30 to 90 ° C., preferably 40 to 60 ° C.
Under the present circumstances, it can be set as the quality improving agent according to the characteristic of each foodstuff by adding alcohol, such as ethanol, and another component.
The order of addition of each component described above is an example of a specific embodiment, and is not limited to this.

The food quality improver of the present invention is prepared by performing general heat sterilization using a plate-type sterilizer, etc., if necessary, and various foods and drinks as food texture and physical properties improvers. Can be used for

Next, the food of the present invention will be described. The food of the present invention is characterized by containing the above-mentioned food quality improving agent. Examples of the food include breads, confectionery, side dishes, fillings, noodles, Japanese confectionery, marine products, and the like.
The amount of the food quality improver added to the food is usually 0.1 to 50% by weight, preferably 1 to 30% by weight, more preferably 2 to 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the food (100% by weight). is there. The method for adding the food quality improver of the present invention to such foods is directly mixed with flour or the like, kneaded into dough, diluted with water, and the like.

The food quality improving agent of the present invention can be made a more appropriate quality improving agent by adjusting the content of each component described above according to the characteristics of each food. Hereinafter, a suitable aspect in the case of applying to various foodstuffs, the effect, etc. are demonstrated.
In the following, the “content” of each component means the content of the component in the food quality improver, and the “addition amount” of the food quality improver means the total amount of the food (100 It means the amount added with respect to (mass%).

(1) Japanese-Western confectionery In this invention, Japanese-Western confectionery includes all what is generally called Japanese confectionery or Western confectionery.
As a quality improving agent for Japanese and Western confectionery, preferred components and contents are as follows. As the emulsifier other than the emulsifier forming the lamellar structure, polyglycerol fatty acid ester is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.003 to 3% by mass. The saccharide is preferably an oligosaccharide, and the content thereof is preferably 10 to 90% by mass, more preferably 50 to 80% by mass. As the gel-forming substance, glucomannan is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 0.8% by mass. The emulsifier that forms the lamellar structure is preferably succinic monoglyceride, and the content thereof is preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 5% by mass.

Furthermore, as other components, starch is 0.1 to 5% by mass, oil and fat (for example, corn oil) 0.1 to 5% by mass, alkaline agent (Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O, and Na ₄ P ₂ O ₇ ). It preferably contains 0.01 to 3% by mass, VC palmitate 0.0001 to 1% by mass, and perfume (eg orange flower water) 0.001 to 1% by mass.
The balance is usually water, and its content is preferably 20 to 50% by mass, more preferably 25 to 40% by mass.

The amount of the quality improver added to Japanese and Western confectionery is preferably 0.1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 1 to 30% by mass.

The said quality improvement agent has the following effect by using it for Japanese and Western confectionery.
(1) Add freezing and refrigeration resistance and prevent texture deterioration.
(2) Enhancement of flavor (egg flavor).
(3) Prevention of starch aging.
(4) Improved moisture retention.
(5) Improvement in shape retention and texture of O / W type cream (ice cream, soft cream).

(2) Mosquitoes In the present invention, moss includes all what is generally called moths. Preferred ingredients and contents as a quality improver for moss are as follows.
As an emulsifier other than the emulsifier forming the lamellar structure, it is preferable to contain both a sucrose fatty acid ester and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester. The content of sucrose fatty acid ester is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 5% by mass. The content of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.003 to 3% by mass. The saccharide is preferably an oligosaccharide, and the content thereof is preferably 10 to 90% by mass, more preferably 40 to 70% by mass. As the gel-forming substance, glucomannan is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 0.8% by mass. The emulsifier that forms the lamellar structure is preferably succinic monoglyceride, and the content thereof is preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 5% by mass.

Further, as other components, fats and oils (for example, corn oil) 0.1 to 5% by mass, lipoproteins (for example, a mixture of milk protein, lecithin and water) 0.001 to 1% by mass, alkaline agent (Na ₃ PO ₄・ Contains 12H ₂ O and Na ₄ P ₂ O ₇ ) 0.01 to 3% by mass, VC palmitate 0.0001 to 1% by mass, fragrance (eg orange flower water) 0.001 to 1% by mass, etc. It is preferable to do.
The balance is usually water, and its content is preferably 20 to 60% by mass, more preferably 30 to 50% by mass.
The amount of the quality improver added to moss is preferably 0.1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 1 to 30% by mass.

The said quality improvement agent has the following effect by using for moss.
(1) Suppression of water wetting phenomenon during thawing due to freezing.
(2) Improvement of texture and flavor deterioration due to aging of starch.
(3) Hue improvement (colors become darker and glossy).
(4) Drying prevention during operation of the machine (cooking).
(5) Prevention of sharpness (those that have grown due to crystallization of sugar).

(3) Breads In the present invention, breads include all of what is generally called bread. As a bread quality improver, preferred components and contents are as follows.
As an emulsifier other than the emulsifier forming the lamellar structure, it is preferable to contain both a sucrose fatty acid ester and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester. The content of sucrose fatty acid ester is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 5% by mass. The content of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.003 to 3% by mass. The saccharide is preferably an oligosaccharide, and the content thereof is preferably 10 to 70% by mass, more preferably 20 to 50% by mass. As the gel-forming substance, glucomannan is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 2% by mass. The emulsifier that forms the lamellar structure is preferably succinic monoglyceride, and the content thereof is preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 5% by mass.

Further, as other components, starch 1 to 5% by mass, organic acid (for example, fumaric acid) 0.01 to 5% by mass, low molecular gelatin 0.01 to 5% by mass, fat and oil (for example corn oil) 0.1 to 5% 5% by mass, lipoprotein (for example, a mixture of milk protein, lecithin and water) 0.01 to 10% by mass, alkaline agent (Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O, and Na ₄ P ₂ O ₇ ) 0.01 to It preferably contains 6 mass%, VC palmitate 0.0001 to 1 mass%, fragrance (for example, orange flower water) 0.001 to 1 mass%, and the like.
The balance is usually water, and its content is preferably 20 to 90% by mass, more preferably 40 to 80% by mass.

The amount of the quality improver added to breads is preferably 0.01 to 50% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 20% by mass.

The said quality improving agent has the following effect by using for breads.
(1) Sustained flavor and baked odor.
(2) Improving mechanical resistance (preventing adhesion of fabric to the machine) and giving moist feeling.
(3) Increased flavor and volume by improving the gas retention of frozen bread dough.
(4) Strengthening gluten network and suppressing starch aging by improving water retention.

(4) Noodles In the present invention, the noodles include all those generally called noodles. As a quality improver for noodles, preferred components and contents are as follows.
As the emulsifier other than the emulsifier forming the lamellar structure, sucrose fatty acid ester is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 5% by mass. As the gel-forming substance, glucomannan is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 3% by mass. The emulsifier that forms the lamellar structure is preferably succinic monoglyceride, and the content thereof is preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 5% by mass.

Further, as other components, starch 1 to 5% by mass, fats and oils (for example, corn oil) 0.1 to 5% by mass, lipoprotein (for example, a mixture of milk protein, lecithin and water) 0.001 to 1% by mass, It is preferable to contain 0.01 to 6% by mass of an alkali agent (Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O and Na ₄ P ₂ O ₇ ).
The balance is usually water, and the content thereof is preferably 30 to 99% by mass, more preferably 50 to 95% by mass.

The amount of the quality improver added to the noodles is preferably 0.1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 1 to 30% by mass.

The said quality improving agent has the following effect by using it for noodles.
(1) Improvement of texture such as good throat passage and improved elasticity.
(2) Suppression of changes over time, such as hot water elongation and suppression of starch elution.
(3) Chilled, freezing resistance (inhibition of starch aging).
(4) Resistance to microwave oven.
(5) Expression of flavor (original flavor of flour).
(6) Improved mechanical resistance (preventing adhesion of fabric to the machine).
(7) Improved looseness.

(5) Fishery paste products In the present invention, the fish paste products include all what are generally called fish paste products. As a quality improver for marine products, preferred components and contents are as follows. As the emulsifier other than the emulsifier forming the lamellar structure, sucrose fatty acid ester is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 5% by mass. The saccharide is preferably an oligosaccharide, and the content thereof is preferably 10 to 70% by mass, more preferably 20 to 50% by mass. As the gel-forming substance, glucomannan is preferable, and the content thereof is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 3% by mass. The emulsifier that forms the lamellar structure is preferably succinic monoglyceride, and the content thereof is preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 5% by mass.

Further, as other components, starch 1 to 5% by mass, fats and oils (for example, corn oil) 0.1 to 5% by mass, alkali agents (Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O, and Na ₄ P ₂ O ₇ ) 0. It is preferable to contain 01 to 6% by mass.
The balance is usually water, and the content thereof is preferably 20 to 90% by mass, more preferably 40 to 70% by mass.

The amount of the quality improver added to the marine products is preferably 0.1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 1 to 30% by mass.

The said quality improvement agent has the following effect by using it for marine products.
(1) Soft and elastic texture.
(2) Even the surimi of low grade can obtain the same quality as offshore surimi.
(3) Modification of flavor.
(4) Cost reduction (Even in increased water system, it can produce a product with excellent freezing tolerance, texture and flavor).

(6) Other foods The food quality improver of the present invention has a film function, (1) maintaining the freshness of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, flowers, etc., (2) boiling boiled vegetables Prevention, discoloration prevention, flavor and retention of nutrients, (3) Prevention of discoloration of fermented foods, prevention of water separation (kimchi, pickles), etc.
In addition, the food quality improver of the present invention has an oil and fat substitute function, and (1) an oil and fat function substitute used for kneaded pie, folded pie, etc. (improves fabric extensibility, prevents shrinkage, and reduces calories. ), (2) It can also be used for substitution of infused fats and oils such as ham and sausage (improving binding properties and reducing calories).
There are no particular restrictions on the amount added to these foods, the method of use, etc., and the amount and method according to the target food and its intended use may be adopted.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention still in detail, this invention is not limited and limited to a following example, unless the summary is exceeded.
In the following experimental examples, only the stearic acid monoglyceride is an emulsifier that forms a lamellar structure in the present invention, and all other emulsifiers correspond to the other emulsifiers in the present invention.

[Experiment 1] Evaluation of soot
1. Preparation of quality improver A for foods 2.1 g of glucomannan ("Leonox RS" manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd.) is swollen in 219.94 g of tap water, and a fragrance preparation ("Orange Flower Water AS-1671" manufactured by Kyowa Fragrance Kosan Co., Ltd.) 0.042 g and 0.021 g of ethanol were added and stirred. On the other hand, 25.13 g of lipoprotein (prepared by the following method) was dispersed in 83.77 g of corn oil, and 4.188 g of Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O and 0.084 g of Na ₂ P ₂ O _{7 were} added to tap water 86. Mix the aqueous solution dissolved in 289 g, add 0.05 g of VC palmitate (“Vitamin C Palmitate” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) and 0.503 g of polyglycerol fatty acid ester (“Sunsoft 818SK” manufactured by Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.) A W / O emulsion was prepared by emulsifying with a mixer at 40 ° C.

Of this W / O type emulsion, 8.36 g was mixed with the glucomannan swelling solution and uniformly mixed with a homomixer to obtain a mixed solution.
Separately, 0.42 g of stearic acid monoglyceride (“Step SS” manufactured by Kao Corporation) and 0.7 g of sucrose stearate ester having an HLB value of 11 (“Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) Is dispersed in 48.4 g of tap water, heated to 60 ° C. with stirring to form a lamella structure of succinic monoglyceride, and the dispersion of the lamella structure is added to the mixed solution. 294 g of maltose syrup (“MC-45” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) and 126 g of oligosaccharide (“Fuji Oligo # 360” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) were mixed and stirred to prepare 700 g of a food quality improver. This was designated as food quality improver A. In addition, confirmation of the lamella structure of the succinic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver A was performed by observation with a polarizing microscope.

<Lipoprotein preparation method>
<Combination>
Milk protein ("Sunlacto N-21" manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku) 32.1%
Soy lecithin (manufactured by Sakai Oil Co., Ltd.) 12.9%
Tap water 55.0%
In addition, as tap water, the tap water of Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa was used (the same is true in the following experimental examples).
<Production method>
(1) “Sanlacto N-21” was dispersed in tap water at 37 to 38 ° C. with a TK homomixer (6000 rpm × 5 min).
(2) Further, soybean lecithin was added at 37 to 38 ° C. and dispersed with a TK homomixer (6000 rpm × 5 min).
(3) Four 150 ml plastic containers were filled and stored refrigerated.

2. Preparation and evaluation of koji Koji koji koji of Brix (mass% concentration of sucrose contained in koji) 55, mixed with the above-mentioned food quality improver to 1.5% of the total amount after cooking. (餡 A) was produced. With respect to this bag A and the following bags B to D, the appearance was observed immediately after the production. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.
In addition, sensory evaluation by 12 panelists was performed on samples (餡 A to D) that were thawed after being stored frozen at −30 ° C. for one month. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.
The numbers in Table 2 are the number of people evaluated in each sensory test.

The samples (餡 A to D) in Table 1 and Table 2 are as follows.
Example 1 (餡 A): Black strainer produced by the above method.
Comparative Example 1 (餡 B): Black koji koji produced by adding trehalose in an amount of 3.0% by mass based on the total amount of koji instead of the food quality improver.
Comparative Example 2 (餡 C): Black strainer produced by the same method as described above without adding a food quality improver.
Comparative Example 3 (餡 D): Food quality improver B (a food quality improver prepared by the following method, see Example 2 of WO2008 / 068890 pamphlet) is 1 Black koji koji made by adding 5% by mass.

3. Preparation of food quality improver B 35 g of sucrose stearate having an HLB value of 11 ("Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) was dispersed in 50 g of ethanol at room temperature and then heated to 75 ° C. The mixture was mixed with 680 g of a warm oligosaccharide aqueous solution (“Oligose” manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.) and stirred for 30 minutes. On the other hand, 35 g of stearic acid monoglyceride (“Step SS” manufactured by Kao Corporation) was dispersed in 200 g of demineralized water and stirred while raising the temperature to 60 ° C. to obtain an aqueous dispersion of a lamellar structure. The oligosaccharide solution was cooled to 55 ° C., and the aqueous dispersion of the lamellar structure of the succinic monoglyceride was added and stirred for 20 minutes. Subsequently, 1000g of the foodstuff quality improver B was prepared by cooling to 45 degreeC. In addition, confirmation of the lamellar structure of the succinic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver B was performed by observation with a polarizing microscope.

From the results of Tables 1 and 2, black strain A with the food quality improver of the present invention is darker and glossy than other black strains B to D, and has an excellent texture and moist feeling. It can be seen that the software is maintained.

[Experiment 2] Evaluation of whipped cream
4). Preparation of quality improver C for food 141.8 g of tap water was weighed into a 500 ml beaker and 2.31 g of glucomannan (“Rheox RS” manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was added while stirring with a TK homomixer. 6.72 g of starch (Neobis T-100, manufactured by Nippon Food Processing Co., Ltd.) was added and dispersed uniformly. To this, 0.042 g of a fragrance preparation (“Orange Flower Water AS-1671” manufactured by Kyowa Fragrance Kosan Co., Ltd.) and 0.021 g of ethanol were added with stirring to obtain a mixed solution.
Separately, 0.44 g of stearic acid monoglyceride (“Step SS” manufactured by Kao Corporation) is dispersed in 48.4 g of tap water, heated to 60 ° C. with stirring to form a lamella structure of succinic monoglyceride, The lamella structure dispersion was added to the mixture. Further, 343 g of maltose syrup (“MC-45” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) and 147 g of oligosaccharide (“Fuji Oligo # 360” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) were mixed and added to obtain a lamellar structure-containing liquid.

On the other hand, after adding 0.61 g of polyglycerin fatty acid ester (“Sunsoft 818SK” manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.) to 89.05 g of corn oil and dissolving at 80 ° C. using a TK homomixer, the temperature is lowered to 60 ° C., Further, 0.06 g of VC palmitate (“Vitamin C Palmitate” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) was added and dispersed. To this, an aqueous solution in which 5.1 g of Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O and 0.5 g of Na ₂ P ₂ O ₇ were dissolved in 104.68 g of tap water was added little by little, and the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes at 5000 rpm with a homomixer. / O emulsion was obtained.
6.87 g of the obtained W / O emulsion was added to the lamellar structure-containing liquid and uniformly dispersed using a TK homomixer to obtain 700 g of a mixture. In addition, confirmation of the lamella structure of the succinic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver C was performed by observation with a polarizing microscope.

5. Preparation and evaluation of whipped cream Pure fresh cream (Meiji Dairies, Tokachi Fresh 100 (trade name): milk fat 47%) 191.9 g, 30% synthetic cream (Megmilk, milk fat 30%) 89.1 g Add a food quality improver to 89.1 g of granulated sugar, and whip with a kitchen aid mixer while cooling the ball with crushed ice at 150 rpm, confirming that it was fully whipped in 3.5 minutes did. The food quality improver was added to 1% or 3% of the total amount and evaluated.
For the whipped cream obtained by using the food quality improver A, B or C as the food quality improver and the whipped cream to which no food quality improver is added, the shape retention, water separation test and Hardness measurement was performed. The results are shown in Table 3.

<Properties and shape retention test of whipped cream>
The whipped cream was put in a squeezed bag, and squeezed on 2 stainless steel trays each having a size of 20 cm × 15 cm so that a total of 12 pieces, about 5 g each, 3 horizontal and 4 vertical. The properties of the whipped cream when squeezed were visually observed and judged according to the following criteria.
A: The squeezed shape is maintained as it is, and the edge of the squeezed tip is sharp.
B: The squeezed shape is not maintained, and the edge of the squeezed tip is dull.
In the shape retention test, one of the two trays was stood against an inclination angle of 30 ° in the long side direction, and the other was kept horizontal and left standing. In either case, the upper surface was covered so as not to be affected by the wind, and the shape of the whipped cream was confirmed every 1 hr. The time when the shape of the whipped cream on the inclined tray was changed (beginning to be slanted) was confirmed with respect to the shape of the whipped cream on the tray left still horizontally. If one of the 12 squeezed whipped creams deformed, that time was taken. The test was conducted at 20 ° C.

<Water separation test>
After squeezing about 29 to 32 g of whipped cream into a cylindrical mold having a diameter of 60 mm and a height of 35 mm placed on a 10-mesh stainless steel wire mesh, the mold was slowly removed. This was put together with a wire mesh on a funnel stand, and the water separated from the whipped cream was collected in a measuring cylinder through the funnel. The presence or absence of water separation was confirmed every 30 minutes, and the time when water began to accumulate in the graduated cylinder was defined as the water separation time. The test was conducted at 20 ° C.

<Hardness measurement>
Put whipped cream in a cup with a diameter of 5.5 cm and a capacity of 100 ml, and use a rheometer (“RHEO METER CR-500DX” manufactured by Sun Kagaku) to push a 45 ° cone adapter into the whipped cream at a speed of 5 mm / min. The stress was measured when the top surface of the cone was pushed to the same level as the top surface of the cream. The numerical value was an average value of n = 3. The hardness of the whipped cream is most preferably about 150 to 200N.

From Table 3, when the food quality improver A or the food quality improver C is contained, the shape retaining property is compared with the case where the food quality improver is not contained or the food quality improver B is contained. And the hardness is found to be significantly better. It can also be seen that the water separation time is significantly better than when no food quality improver is contained.

[Experiment 3] Evaluation of meat hamburger
6). Preparation of food quality improving agent D 10.5 g of lipoprotein was dispersed in 35 g of tap water, a bowl-shaped stirring blade was attached to a motor, and the following materials were sequentially added while stirring at 150 rpm to obtain a mixture. The preparation of lipoprotein is the same as that for food quality modifier A.
(1) Dispersion in which 15.68 g of starch (Nippon Food Processing Co., Ltd., Neobis T-100 (trade name)) is dispersed in 70.7 g of tap water (2) Fragrance preparation (Kyowa Fragrance Kosan Co., Ltd., “Orange Flower Water AS-1671 ") 0.041g and ethanol 0.021g
(3) A solution prepared by dissolving 0.7 g of fumaric acid (manufactured by Kawasaki Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.) in 150 g of tap water at 70 ° C. (4) 0.7 g of low molecular gelatin (manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ikuos HDL-50F) Solution dissolved by heating at 70 ° C. in 70 g of tap water (5) 0.42 g of stearic acid monoglyceride (“Step SS” manufactured by Kao Corporation) is dispersed in 66.1 g of tap water, and the temperature is raised to 60 ° C. while stirring. (6) Maltose syrup (“MC-45” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) 147 g and oligosaccharide (“Fuji Oligo # 360” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) 63 g The mixture obtained was transferred to a kneader and kneaded at 47 rpm. To this, 10.77 g of glucomannan ("Lox RS" manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and corn oil 14. A kneaded mixture of 32 g was added and further kneaded.

On the other hand, 0.611 g of polyglycerin fatty acid ester (“Sunsoft 818SK” manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co.) was added to 82.97 g of corn oil, and dissolved in a homomixer at 80 ° C. After the temperature was lowered to 60 ° C., 0.032 g of VC palmitate (“Vitamin C Palmitate” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) was further added and dispersed. To this, an aqueous solution prepared by dissolving 6.62 g of Na ₃ PO ₄ · 12H ₂ O and 0.662 g of Na ₂ P ₂ O _{7 in} 109.15 g of tap water was mixed, and the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes at 5000 rpm with a homomixer. An O emulsion was obtained.
On a dispersion obtained by dispersing 0.1 g of sucrose stearate ester of HLB11 (“Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170S” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) in 0.5 g of tap water and raising the temperature to 60 ° C. 12.53 g of the above W / O emulsion was added and mixed, and this was added to the mixture in the kneader. Thereafter, the mixture was heated at 60 ° C. for 30 minutes, further heated to 80 ° C. and then kneaded for 15 minutes to obtain 700 g of a mixture. In addition, confirmation of the lamellar structure of the succinic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver D was performed by observation with a polarizing microscope.

7). Preparation and evaluation of livestock hamburger 166.7 g of onions were chopped, fried with salad oil until colored, spread on a plate and cooled. In a bowl, 550 g of minced meat, 25 g of the above-mentioned fried onion, 25 g of bread moistened with milk, 83.3 g of egg, 0.8 g of pepper, 1.7 g of nutmeg, and 5.8 g of salt were combined. To this, 41.7 g (addition amount 4.8%) of a food quality improver was added and thoroughly mixed by hand. After the dough became sticky, it was divided into 100 g portions and molded into an oval shape of 120 mm × 90 mm × thickness 13 mm while venting air. The molded hamburger was placed on a wire mesh, baked at 230 ° C for 8 minutes, cooked, and then cooled. This was vacuum-packed with a resin bag, frozen at −40 ° C. with a quick freezer, transferred to a home freezer and stored frozen for 2 weeks.
For the hamburger obtained by using the food quality improver D or B as the food quality improver and the hamburger to which no food quality improver is added, the weight change, hardness measurement and sensory function during firing are carried out by the following methods. Evaluation was performed. The results are shown in Table 4.

<Change in weight during firing>
The weight of the hamburger before firing and the weight after firing were measured, and the weight change was calculated from the following formula. The average value of n = 5 was used for each sample.
Weight change (%) = (weight after firing / weight before firing) × 100

<Measurement of hardness>
Using a rheometer (“RHEO METER CR-500DX” manufactured by Sun Science Co., Ltd.), a 50 mm × 50 mm adapter was pushed into the center of the meat hamburger at a speed of 5 mm / min under the condition of “mode: 1”. About each sample, the approach distance (mm) of the adapter when the stress reached 20 N was measured. The larger the approach distance, the softer the hamburger. The measurement was performed under the following two conditions.
(1) Immediately after firing (2) What was frozen for 2 weeks was taken out of the freezer and heated in a 600W microwave for 3 minutes

<Sensory evaluation>
Twelve panelists tasted hamburgers that had been frozen for 2 weeks from the freezer and heated in a 600W microwave oven for 3 minutes. From the viewpoints of plumpness and juiciness, the following criteria were used to evaluate the average values. Was calculated.
Evaluation criteria: Good = 5, Slightly good = 4, Normal = 3, Slightly bad = 2, Bad = 1

From Table 4, when the food quality improver D is contained, the weight change at the time of baking is small as compared with the case where the food quality improver is not contained or when the food quality improver B is contained. I understand. Moreover, from the result of hardness measurement, it can be seen that the softness is maintained most when the food quality improver D is contained immediately after baking, after microwave heating, and after microwave reheating. Furthermore, it can be seen from the sensory evaluation results that the food texture is good when the food quality improver D is contained even after being frozen and thawed.

[Experimental Example 4] Evaluation of noodles
8). Preparation of Food Quality Improvement Agent E Lipoprotein (1.05 g) was dispersed in tap water (252.04 g), a bowl-shaped stirring blade was attached to a motor, and the following materials were sequentially added while stirring at 150 rpm to obtain a mixture. The preparation of lipoprotein is the same as that for food quality modifier A.
(1) Dispersion in which 15.68 g of starch (manufactured by Nippon Food Processing Co., Ltd., Neobis T-100 (trade name)) is dispersed in 260 g of tap water (2) stearic acid monoglyceride (“Step SS” manufactured by Kao Corporation) 0.42 g was dispersed in 66.1 g of tap water, and a dispersion of a lamella structure of succinic monoglyceride formed by heating to 60 ° C. with stirring. The resulting mixture was transferred to a kneader and kneaded at 47 rpm. Then, 16.17 g of glucomannan (“Leox RS” manufactured by Shimizu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and 21.56 g of corn oil were added and further kneaded.

Dispersion obtained by dispersing 0.7 g of sucrose stearate ester of HLB11 (“Ryoto Sugar Ester S-1170S” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods) in 35 g of tap water and raising the temperature to 60 ° C. Then, an aqueous solution prepared by dissolving 0.41 g of Na ₃ PO ₄ .12H ₂ O and 0.04 g of Na ₂ P ₂ O _{7 in} 30 g of tap water at 60 ° C. was added. The mixture was kneaded at 60 ° C. for 30 minutes and further at 80 ° C. for 15 minutes to obtain 700 g of a mixture. In addition, confirmation of the lamellar structure of the succinic acid monoglyceride in the food quality improver E was performed by observation with a polarizing microscope.

9. Preparation and evaluation of noodles 100 parts of flour, 26 parts of tap water, 1 part of salt, 1 part of a food quality improver were put into a vacuum mixer and kneaded until it became a sloppy shape (coarse granular shape). Rolls were sequentially rolled to a thickness of 5 mm and 3 mm. This was wound around a roll and aged at room temperature for 40 minutes, then noodles were made with a noodle making machine and dried with a hot air dryer at 98 ° C. The obtained noodles were allowed to stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
About noodles obtained by using food quality improver E or B as food quality improvers and noodles without adding food quality improvers, the properties of boiled noodles and the strength of noodles are evaluated by the following methods. went. The results are shown in Table 5.

<Property evaluation of boiled noodles>
When the noodles were boiled, the boiled noodles were lifted with chopsticks, and when the noodles were lifted with chopsticks after being transferred to a plate, the state of the noodles was visually observed and judged according to the following criteria.
A: Each of the boiled noodles and the noodles that have moved to the plate are lifted one by one.
B: Boiled noodles cannot be broken one by one unless they are mixed with chopsticks, and the noodles that have moved to the plate cannot be broken into pieces.

<Noodle strength>
The noodles were boiled with boiling water for 3 minutes and then collected, and using a rheometer (“RHEO METER CR-500DX” manufactured by Sun Kagaku Co., Ltd.), the tensile test attachment (No. 36) was subjected to the conditions of “mode: 1”. Winding was performed so that the distance between the chucks was about 30 mm, a tensile test was performed at a speed of 60 mm / min, and the breaking strength was measured. The average value of n = 10 was set for each sample.

From Table 5, when the food quality improver E is contained, the boiled noodles have better properties than when the food quality improver is not contained or when the food quality improver B is contained, In addition, it can be seen that since the breaking strength is high, the elasticity is excellent.

The food quality improving agent of the present invention has a simple manufacturing method, excellent storage stability, and maintains the texture and flavor immediately after processing and cooking when added to various foods. It is useful as a quality improver for breads, confectionery, side dishes, fillings, noodles, Japanese confectionery, marine products and the like.
It should be noted that the entire contents of the specification, claims, and abstract of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-129354 filed on May 16, 2008 are incorporated herein as the disclosure of the specification of the present invention. Is.

Claims (11)

1. A food quality improving agent comprising an emulsifier and a gel-forming substance, wherein the emulsifier forms a lamellar structure.
2. The food quality improving agent according to claim 1, wherein the lamellar structure of the emulsifier is formed of an organic acid monoglyceride.
3. The food quality improving agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the emulsifier contains sucrose fatty acid ester and / or polyglycerin fatty acid ester.
4. A food quality improving agent comprising an emulsifier and a gel-forming substance, wherein the emulsifier contains an organic acid monoglyceride and an emulsifier other than the organic acid monoglyceride, and the organic acid monoglyceride forms a lamellar structure. .
5. The food quality improving agent according to claim 4, wherein the emulsifier other than the organic acid monoglyceride contains a sucrose fatty acid ester and / or a polyglycerin fatty acid ester.
6. The food quality improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gel-forming substance is glucomannan.
7. The food quality improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a saccharide.
8. The food quality improving agent according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the organic acid monoglyceride is obtained by reacting an acid anhydride of an organic acid with a fatty acid monoglyceride.
9. The organic acid constituting the organic acid monoglyceride is at least one selected from the group consisting of succinic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, diacetyltartaric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, maleic acid and fumaric acid. 9. The food quality improving agent according to any one of 1 to 8.
10. The gel-forming substance content is 0.01 to 10% by mass, the organic acid monoglyceride content is 0.01 to 50% by mass, and the emulsifier content other than the organic acid monoglyceride is 0.001 to 50% by mass. The food quality improving agent according to any one of claims 5 to 9, which is%.
11. A food comprising the food quality improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 10.